SEOUL — Authorities in South Korea have requested a Japanese woman to appear for questioning regarding allegations that she kissed Jin, a member of the globally recognized K-pop group BTS, without his consent at a fan event last year, police officials announced Friday.
According to an official at Seoul’s Songpa police station, the woman is being asked to address accusations of sexual harassment. The police declined to release her name, citing privacy concerns.
The police station confirmed the launch of an investigation following an online complaint but refrained from providing further details while the investigation is ongoing.
Reports indicate that South Korean police, with assistance from Japanese authorities, identified the woman, reported to be in her 50s. These reports also suggest that she is currently unwilling to cooperate with the questioning.
In June 2024, a day after completing his 18-month mandatory military service, Jin (Kim Seok-jin) commemorated his return and BTS’s 11th anniversary by offering free hugs to fans in Seoul. During this event, attended by approximately 1,000 fans, a woman allegedly kissed Jin on the cheek, an incident captured in a video that circulated widely online, showing Jin’s apparent discomfort.
The Yonhap news agency reports that the woman wrote in a blog post about the event, stating, “My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft.”
Jin, 32, is the eldest member of BTS, a group formed in 2013 with a significant global following known as the “Army.”
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